Snickerdoodles - Not Just Cinnamon Sugar Cookies

Snickerdoodles have been around for more than a hundred years (at least 40 years more than the Snickers candy bar that has nothing at all to do with snickerdoodles!) and are a favorite among us classic comfort food types.

You'll find a lot of recipes that call for baking powder rather than cream of tartar. Ignore them. Cream of tartar is not just a leavening agent, it is what gives snickerdoodles their characteristic tang.

There are also a lot of snickerdoodle recipes that call for half butter and half shortening. Ignore those, too. There is nothing to be gained by using the shortening, so why dilute the wondrous flavor of butter? Baked until just the edges start to brown, the cookies are crisp on the outside and soft, kind of cakey, inside.

Need I tell you, these cookies are fabulous with a nice cuppa tea!

Snickerdoodles

(Makes 32 3-inch cookies)

The Dough

2 3/4 dip-and-sweep cups (13.75 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature (2 1/2 hours)
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla


The Coating

3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 In medium bowl, whisk together flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt.

Note: I've given the directions for using a stand mixer, but I've made these many times with a hand mixer or just a spoon before I got my Cuisinart stand mixer. 

2 In stand mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and beat on low speed just until dough comes together. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until dough is easy to handle.

3 Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. Shape #40 scoops (0.8 ounces or approximately 1.5 tablespoons) of dough into 1 1/4-inch balls; roll in sugar mixture. Place 3 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Using a flat-bottomed glass (or a stainless steel measuring cup), slightly flatten the dough balls. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned.

Note: I use a gigantic baking sheet, called a 3/4 sheet pan, sometimes called a 2/3 sheet pan. It is the maximum size pan that will fit in my oven (in a 30-inch gas range). With it I can bake 24 cookies this size (4 rows of 6) or 35 smaller cookies (5 rows of 7) all in one batch. Since this recipe makes 32 cookies, I froze 8 cookies to be baked another day.

4 Cool on baking sheet for 1 minute, and then remove to wire racks to cool completely. May be stored in airtight container for a week.

Disclosure: Posts may include links to my affiliate account at Amazon.com, and Delightful Repast earns a few cents on the dollar if readers make a purchase, so thanks for supporting my blog when you shop at Amazon!

Book Review and Giveaway - Real Dirt: An Ex-Industrial Farmer's Guide to Sustainable Eating

Real Dirt is different from most books about sustainability. After all, author Harry Stoddart, who has a BS in Agriculture and an MS in Agricultural Economics, has farmed at both ends of the spectrum. He's done CAFO and pasture-raised, till and no-till, conventional and organic. He takes a realistic look at the pros and cons of every agricultural method out there and asks us to use a critical eye and look at the complete food system.

"The single biggest change you can make to improve your diet and your impact on the future is to start cooking your own meals. ... When you cook, you are in control of your diet and the future of food production and the planet." ~ Harry Stoddart 

Note: The author has a terrific sense of humor, too, making this a fun as well as informative read; though that might not come through in this review. 

If you have gone organic as much as you possibly can (as I have), that's good. But Stoddart believes organic principles are only the starting point for lessening agriculture's impact. Two out of three of what Stoddart calls The Big Three issues--antibiotic resistance, erosion and climate disruption--are not adequately dealt with by all organic farmers. 

"Conservation of soil and water do not automatically flow from an organic choice. You will need to understand the production methods used on the farm before you can make a fully informed choice." There is a thought-provoking list of questions to ask of even organic farmers. 

Real Dirt gives us guiding principles to help us make choices in favor of true sustainability. Are we buying from farmers working to conserve water and conserve and/or rebuild soil? Of course, I disagree with a couple of methods Stoddart espouses: using sewage sludge on crops and drinking recycled sewer water. Uh uh, I'm just not ready to go there! 

"If you don't cook but only reheat processed food, you are putting your diet and health in the hands of someone else." ~ Harry Stoddart

There are many ways we can work toward a better food system. Some people think that unless they are working to influence legislation they cannot make a difference. Stoddart says: "The quickest transformation to sustainable methods will not occur through legislation. The greatest lever we can pull to shift agriculture is the power of the consumer."

Real Dirt Book Giveaway

This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada who are 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person) and please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday April 23.

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday April 24. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday April 27, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline).

Follow Stoddart Farm on Twitter. Follow Delightful Repast on Twitter and Delightful Repast on Pinterest.

Real Dirt is available at Amazon in paperback and Kindle.

Disclosure: The author is providing the book for this giveaway. I have received no compensation. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Disclosure: Some posts include links to my Amazon.com affiliate account, and Delightful Repast earns a few cents on the dollar if readers make a purchase, so thanks for supporting my blog when you shop at Amazon!

Tuna Melt - An American Diner Classic

Tuna melts were not on the menu at our house. My first one was served to me by the woman who would become my mother-in-law. The first time she set one before me, I had my doubts: 1) Hot tuna salad? 2) Hard-cooked egg mixed with tuna? 3) Cheese on tuna? Hey, what can I say, I was very young!

I often think of that dear lady and, during a recent illness, was remembering some of the foods she used to make for me, wishing she were here now to pamper me. So I decided to make a tuna melt in her honor. I even put the egg in it. The capers and dill are my own little touches, two things I use a lot.

I used to eat nothing but solid white albacore tuna, but then I learned that chunk light has a fraction of the mercury. I choose water-packed because I like thoroughly drained tuna, and oil-packed tuna loses a lot of its omega-3 fatty acids when you drain it. You can use whatever kind of tuna you prefer; I don't like to get too dogmatic about it!

What are your favorite things to eat when you're not feeling well?

Tuna Melt Sandwiches

(Makes 4 open-face sandwiches, 2 servings)

1 5-ounce can chunk light tuna packed in water, drained
1 large hard-cooked egg, diced
2 tablespoons diced celery
2 tablespoons diced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced sweet pickle
1 tablespoon minced red onion, optional
1 teaspoon capers, drained and roughly chopped
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon country Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried dill
Pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
A squeeze of lemon
4 toasted slices of English Muffin Toasting Bread (or 4 toasted English muffin halves)

Sliced tomato, optional
Mayonnaise to spread on bread
1 cup shredded medium cheddar

1 In 1-quart bowl, stir together tuna, egg, vegetables, capers, mayonnaise, mustard, dill, pepper and lemon juice.

2 Toast the English muffins or bread; spread with mayonnaise. Lay on a slice or two of tomato, if you like. Top with tuna salad, then with shredded cheese.

3 Place on a foil-lined heavy-duty quarter sheet pan (everyone needs to have three or four of these handy little pans!). Heat under the broiler or in toaster oven until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Disclosure: Posts may include links to my affiliate account at Amazon.com, and Delightful Repast earns a few cents on the dollar if readers make a purchase, so thanks for supporting my blog when you shop at Amazon!

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Chocolate-Banana Frozen Yogurt

Ice cream weather will soon be upon us, so I was looking at all the ice cream, sherbet and frozen yogurt recipes I've developed over the last three years since I got an ice cream maker. Then I remembered the protein shake I always got at the "health bar" inside the health food store my mother and I frequented when I was a teenager--it was Chocolate-Banana--and thought that combination would make a great frozen yogurt.

In my earlier recipes for frozen yogurts, I describe draining regular (non-Greek-style) yogurt to eliminate the liquid. But today I decided to save a step and just buy some organic Greek-style yogurt. Either way works. I put two tablespoons of rum in this batch, as an experiment, and must say I prefer it with just a single tablespoon. With two, the rum is a bit overpowering. Of course, if you're one who likes to be overpowered by rum ... 

What's your favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt flavor? 

Chocolate-Banana Frozen Yogurt 

(Makes about 5 cups) 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter 
1 pound very ripe bananas (about 2 large or 3 medium), peeled and cut into 1/2 -inch rounds 
2 tablespoons brown sugar 
1 tablespoon dark rum, optional 
2/3 cup sugar 
1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder 
Pinch of salt 
2/3 cup milk (I use organic 2%) 
1 3/4 cups nonfat Greek yogurt 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

1 In a skillet, melt the butter. Add the bananas and sprinkle with brown sugar. Cook over medium heat, turning once or twice, until caramelized, about 10 minutes. Stir in the rum; remove from heat. With potato masher or large dinner fork, mash the bananas as finely as possible (there should be just small chunks). 

2 In medium bowl (I use a 2-quart glass measure), whisk together sugar, cocoa and salt. Gradually whisk in milk, smoothing out any lumps. 

3 Add banana puree, yogurt and vanilla extract; whisk until thoroughly mixed and sugar is dissolved. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 8 hours or overnight. 

4 Assemble the Cuisinart ICE-21 Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream-Sorbet Maker; turn it on. While it is running, pour the chilled mixture through the spout. Let mix until thickened, about 15 to 20 minutes. Or follow the directions for whichever brand ice cream maker you have. If you have a KitchenAid, you can use their KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment. 

5 Transfer the soft frozen yogurt to a freezer-safe airtight container and place in freezer for at least 4 hours. Remove from freezer 10 minutes before serving.

Note: Here is my review of the Cuisinart ICE-21. For more ice cream, sherbet and frozen yogurt recipes, go to the Recipes index page.